We desire to share life with one another in such a way that we become a living, breathing, local expression of the global, historical body of Christ. This is expressed through sharing of life, mutual accountability, caring for one another, meeting the needs of each other, giving of our time, talents, and resources for the good of the community of faith as well as for the good of the local and global community, and remaining open to people who desire to live in relationship with us and carry out these values.

FAITH IN CHRIST

As devoted followers of Jesus we believe His claims of being the Christ, adhere to His teachings, participate in His activity, and continue His works. We see ourselves as a growing community learning to live life with God in the way of Jesus. We represent a generous Christian orthodoxy, rooted in the Scriptures and consistent with the ancient creeds of the church.

PROCESS

Many churches and communities of faith today profess to have the answers to most of the questions of life and faith. We do not. Religion tends to establish systems, checklists, and spiritual formulas that, when followed exactly, will yield some intended result without fail. We accept that faith may be simplistic but the many complexities of life and the fallen state of creation and mankind make it difficult for people live in absolute certainty. Systems fail, checklists are incomplete, and formulas tend to ignore the multitude of variables. We are simply responding day by day to all that we know and are discovering about God through Christ, with all that we know and are discovering about ourselves. We value the process of conforming to the image of Christ, not just being called a "Christian."

CHARACTER

What we do flows naturally out of who we are. Through classes, mentoring, service opportunities, the practice of classical spiritual disciplines, submission to one another and to spiritual authorities, and faith in the work of the Spirit of Christ (Holy Spirit) who lives in and through believers, we seek to be conformed to the nature and image of Christ. Every believer should pursue holiness and moral purity according to Scripture and the example of Christ.

CULTURAL RELEVANCE

A life of faith and a relationship with God occurs within a specific context and culture. We do not seek to isolate ourselves from the culture but strive to engage the culture and work with the Spirit of God to redeem it. God is not limited to revealing Himself and working only in places and through people we consider sacred.

CALLING / PURPOSE

Christianity is to be a way of life that sends followers of Christ into the world to serve God and our neighbors, so that God's will may be done on earth as it is in heaven. Our belief is that every person is intentionally created by a loving God with unique personalities, talents, gifts, and abilities that reveal something of the activity and reality of God. We believe that God uses people and circumstances--both good and bad--to shape us and instill in us longings and desires that direct us toward discovering and fulfilling our ultimate purpose in life: to know God and to receive and reflect His love.

HOLISTIC LIFE

Understanding that all areas of life are connected, including faith, time, family, work, body, money, intellect, recreation, et al., we seek to learn how to integrate life by learning and applying spiritual truth. In doing so, all activities of life from the common to the sublime become sacred acts of worship to God.

"MISSIONAL"

While most churches have "missions" as a program or event, for us it is a way of life. The Bridge seeks to align its identity, activities, and faith with God's redemptive activity in the world. We are better viewed as missionaries who live, eat, and breathe the life of Cleveland, White County, and North Georgia every day, placed in the culture to emulate Jesus. We do not seek to establish a Christian subculture, but rather to establish a genuine expression of devoted Christ followers fully engaging and participating in our local, national, and global community.